Duplicating and like printing machines



Oct. 20, 1964 l.. E. BROUGHAM DUPLICAIING AND LIKE PRINTING MACHINES Filed April 9, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 4 TTOQNEY Oct. 20, 1964 l... E. BROUGHAM 3,153,379

DuPLIcATING AND LIKE PRINTING MACHINES Filed April 9, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 NEA ATTORNEY United States Patent O 3,153,379 DUPLICATENG AND LIKE PRTN'EING MACHWES Leslie Ernest Brougham, London, England, assigner to Bloei: it Anderson ILimited, London, England, a British company Filed Apr. 9, 1962, Ser. No. 186,213 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Apr. 13, 1961, 13,347/61 12 Claims. (6l. 1491-45) This invention relates t duplicating and like printing machines adapted to produce a plurality of copies of a common master image, the various copies being upon separate sheets which are fed singly and in succession to the printing member, as by being placed upon a copy sheet feed table. The invention is of particular application to duplicating and like printing machines which, although power operated, are manually fed and manually controlled in that each printing operation is initiated by the movement of a manual control member, such as a foot pedal. One example of such a machine is a known type of hectographic spirit duplicating machine comprising a rotatable printing drum carrying a mirrorscript master image and a co-operating counterpressure roller, each printing operation involving one complete revolution of the printing drum by temporary coupling of the latter to a constantly running power source such as an electric motor. One object of the present invention is to provide a convenient 'arrangement for pre-printing each of the fed-in copy sheets with a chosen, and preferably readily changeable, marking or series of markings which are distinct from the printed image provided upon the sheet during the subsequent normal printing operation by the machine itself. Such pre-printing facility is of considerable utility for applying different job, batch or serial numbers to copies all of which are printed from a common master, as is frequently necessary, for example, in systems or production control arrangements widely employed in present day manufacture.

In accordance with the invention the pre-printing mechanism is disposed on the sheet feed table of the machine to overlie at least an edge region of each applied and positioned copy sheet and such mechanism is arranged to be operated from the normal power drive of the machine while the copy sheet is stationary upon the feed table, i.e. prior to the instant when such applied and positioned copy sheet lying on such table is gripped and fed into the machine for the normal printing operation by the latter.

In one convenient arrangement embodying the invention a power drive for operating the pre-printing mechanism is derived from the normal constantly running power source of the machine by Way of a trip clutch which is operated by the normal hand or pedal control of the machine, the control of the machine operation control lever whose movement initiates each normal printing operation of the machine being transferred from such hand or pedal control to means which form part of the pre-printing device or of the drive thereto and which are so arranged that such pre-printing device is fully operated while the copy sheet is stationary in its laid position on the feed table and before the said normal machine operation control lever is moved to effect commencement of the normal machine operation cycle.

ln order that the above and other features of the invention may be more readily understood, one constructional embodiment will now be described by way of illustrative example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. l is a fragmentary and simplified plan View of the sheet feed table on a duplicating machine incorporating the invention.

FIG. 2 is plan view, similar to FIG. 1 but with the feed table removed, showing the control arrangements..

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FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional side elevation of the feed table and control arrangements.

FIG. 4 is a plan view drawn to an enlarged scale, showing the pre-printing mechanism.

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view, taken on the line V-V of FIG. 4, while,

FIG. 6 is a transverse sectional view, taken on the line VI-VI, of FIG. 4.

The invention is shown applied to a hectographic spirit duplicator which comprises the usual stationary machine framework including opposite left and right hand vertical side plates 10, 11, supporting a horizontal rotatable printing drum 12 and a co-operating counterpressure roller (not shown), as well as sheet feeding and sheet damping mechanism of any convenient and well known form, indicated schematically at 13, for gripping each copy sheet C when placed in position upon a horizontal sheet feed table 14 and for conveying such sheet, while applying a film of solvent liquid thereon, up to the printing bight between the drum 1li and the counterpressure roller. Each printing operation involves one complete revolution of the drum 12 by means of a constantly running electric drive motor (not shown) and is, in the known form of such machine, initiated by depression of a manual machine control member inthe form of a foot pedal 15 (FIGS. 2 and 3). As shown in chain dotted lines in FIG. 3, in the existing form of the machine the foot pedal 15 is coupled by a link rod 16 to a machine operation control lever 17 to rock the latter anticlockwise about its pivot rod 17a thereby to trip a one revolution or similar clutch disposed at a suitable position in the driving connection between the drive motor and the machine mechanism.

In the modified arrangement according to the present invention, such link rod connection is dispensed with and, instead, the pedal 15 is connected by way of a link rod 18 to the free end of a crank arm 19 fixed to one end of a transverse rocking spindle 2l? journalled in the side plates 10, 11. To the opposite end of the rocking spindle 2) is secured a clutch control lever 21 for controlling a onerevolution trip clutch 22 whose intermittently driven element is secured to one end of a rotatable cam shaft 23 also journalled in the side plates 10, 11. The driving element of the trip clutch 22 includes a belt pulley 24 which is constantly rotated (while the machine drive motor is running) by an endless belt drive system 25 from a constantly rotating counter shaft 26 forming part of the normal machine drive system. The drive ratio of the belt drive 25 is preferably such that each revolution of the cam shaft 23, when the clutch 22 is tripped, is effected in a time interval which is short compared with the total time required to effect one operation cycle of the machine.

Secured to the cam shaft 23 in between the side plates 10, 11 are iirst and second cam discs 28, 27 while to the opposite end of such cam shaft is secured machine control means in the form of a disc 29 carrying an eccentric roller 30. This eccentric roller cO-operates with one end face of the transverse or head part of a T-shaped abutment lever 31 pivoted at 31a on the side plate 11. The opposite end face of such head part of the lever 31 is positioned to engage and move a roller 32 mounted on the machine operation control lever 17.

Referring more particularly to FIGS. 4, 5, and 6, the pre-printing mechanism, indicated generally at 33 in FIG. l is mounted upon the upper surface of the feed table 14 and has a hollow box form casing comprising a lixed base 34 which is secured to the feed table and a hinged lid 35. This lid 35 carries four separate groups of six rotatable type wheels 36 which are partially exposed through apertures 37 in the lid to permit their manual adjustment to any desired position. The lowermost and operative type characters on the type wheels 36 lie just above an ink ribbon 38 which extends from a rst reel 39 over corner guides'dti'to a second reel'dll. As seen more clearly in FIG. 6, the adjacent side edge 34a of the base 34 forms copy sheet lay stop means for engaging the right hand side edge ofeach' copysheetC when laid in proper position on the sheet feed table 14 whereby the type wheels overhang and, when lowered'with a stamping-motion provide markings upon the stationary copy sheet adjacent to and parallel with the laid edge thereof.

The hinged lid 35 is spring urged upwardly by springk means 35a normally to raise the type wheels 36 clear of the ribbon 38 and the copy sheet C but the lid can be drawn downwardly to effect the pre-printing operation by the engagement of the upper end of a pre-print control lever-i2 upon a cross pin 43 carried in a slide 44 mounted in the upper surface of the lid. Such pre-print control lever 42 is pivoted at 45a upon the base 34 and carries a follower roller 45 at its lower end for engagement with and operation by the rst cam disc 28 on the cam shaft 23.

The ink ribbon 3S is arranged to be moved slightly at each pre-printing operation by means similar to that of a typewriter. Such ribbon shift means comprise separate reel carriers 46, 47 each rotatable upon a fixed horizontal spindle 48 and having means for securing the associated reel 39,' 41 respectively. Each carrier includes a ratchet wheel 49 engageable by an upstanding pawl tooth on a reciprocating pawl lever S; Each of the two pawl levers 50 is pivotally connected near one end to the upper end of a crank rocker arm Si pivoted at 51a on the base SLi-and each is spring biased to move the pawl tooth into engagement with the associated ratchet wheel. The lower limb of the rocker arm 51 has an extension SZadapted to bear upon and be operated by the second cam disc 27 on the cam shaft 23. A rock lever 53 pivotally mounted on the inner surface of the front wall of the fixed base 34 has a control piece 54 extending through a slot in the wall whereby it may be moved to depress the free end of either one of the pawl levers Sti thereby to move the pawl tooth thereon out of engagement with its associated ratchet wheel 49.`

In the operation of the arrangement just described, depression of the pedal l5 by the operator, after placing a copy sheet in position upon the feed table 1d with the side edge of the sheet abutting the lay stop edge 34a of the base 34, imparts rocking movement to the crank arm 19 and spindle 2t? and this, through the resultant movement of the clutch control lever 21, trips the clutch Z2 whereby the cam shaft Z3 makes one, relatively rapid, revolution by reason of the driving connection thus set up from the constantly rotating countershaft 26 through the drive system 2S.

During such single revolution of the cam shaft 2,3, the secondcam disc 27 irst causes oscillation of the rocker arm 51 to move that one lof the ratchet wheels 49 which is selected for operation by the adjusted position of the rock lever 53. rlhe resultant rotation ofthe associated reel carrier and the reel secured thereon is in such direction that the ribbon is wound on to the reel thereby shifting the position of the ink ribbon 38 slightly; shortly afterwards the rst cam disc 28 rocks the pre-print control lever 42 to pull the lid 35 smartly downwards thereby to impress the selected type characters of the various type wheels 36 upon the stationary copy sheet through the inkribbon 38. At a still later instant inthe said single revolution of the cam shaft 23 the eccentric roller 3b on the disc 29 strikes the forward end of the head partof'the T-shaped abutment lever 3l and causes rocking movement thereof whereby it engages and moves the roller 32 and the machine operation control lever 17 thereby to initiate the normal operative cycle of the machine itself, by which the now pre-printed copy sheet C is-d-rawn into and is printed upon by the drum 12 and its associated counterpressure roller.

Reversal of the direction of progressive shift of the ink ribbon 38 is effected by movement of the rock lever 53 to its opposite inclinedposition thereby reversing the operative and inoperative pawl levers Si). If it is desired to immobilise the pre-printing mechanism 33, the slide 6itimay be moved to the position Where the cross pin 43 thereon is no longer located beneath the upper end of the lever arm 42. In this same position the lid 3S may be raised to allow access to the ink ribbon and its mechanism.

Various modifications may be made. For instance, one or more of the groups of type wheels of the preprinting mechanism 33 may be of the known serial counter form and arranged to be advanced by one step after each pre-printing operation for effecting serial numbering of successive copy sheets. Such stepping motion may be derived from the upward return movement of the hinged lid or from a further cam disc on the cam shift 23. The table 14 carrying the pre-printing mechanism T13 may be interchangeable with an alternative plain feed table. The actual pre-printing mechanism itself may have any other convenient form which is operable upon the copy sheet While it is stationary in its laid position on the normal copy sheet feed table of the machine before it is taken into the machine during the normal operation cycle of the latter.

I claim:

1. A power driven duplicating or like printing machine which includes a stationary framework, a rotatable printing drum mounted in said framework, a horizontal copy sheet feed table for receiving copy sheets to be printed upon during operation of the machine, a machine drive system including a constantly rotating power driven countershaft and a machine operation control lever for initiating, by each operation thereof, a single operation cycle of the machine, which machine also comprises a pre-printing mechanism mounted on said copy sheet feed table, saidpre-printing mechanism including typecarrying members overlying each copy sheet when laid on said feed table and a pre-print operating lever for causing operation of said pre-print mechanism upon a copy sheet while stationary on said feed table, a cam shaft rotatable in said stationary framework, a control cam on said cam shaft operating said pre-print operating lever arm at each revoiution thereof, a control disc having an eccentric abutment thereon also mounted on said cam shaft and effective to operate said machine operation control lever, a one-revolution trip clutch having its driven element connected to said cam shaft and its driving element coupled to said constantly rotating countershaft and a manually operable machine controlling member arranged to operate said trip clutch whereby at each operation of said manually operable member, said cam shaft is coupled to said countershaft to be rotated through one complete revolution to cause operation of said pre-printing mechanism upon said copy sheet while such sheet is stationary in laid position on said sheet feed table and said machine operation control lever is operated by said eccentric abutment of said control disc -to commence an operation cycle of the duplicating or like printing machine after said pre-printing mechanism has been fully operated.

2. A machine according to claim 1 in which said preprinting mechanism includes a xed base secured to said feed table and a lid supporting said type carrying elements arranged for rising and falling movement with respect to said base, said pre-print operating lever and said control cam operating to move said type carrying members into and out of contact with a copy sheet on said feed table.

3. A machine according to claim 2 in which said lid is pivotally mounted and which includes spring means to bias said lid into an upward position, said pre-print operating lever operating to move said lid downwardly against said spring bias to bring said type-carrying members into printing contact with each copy sheet.

4. A machine according to claim l in which said type carrying members comprise a plurality of independently adjustable type wheels and an ink ribbon located between said type wheels and the sheet carrying surface of said feed table.

5. A machine according to claim 4 in which said type wheels are disposed to form a plurality of separate groups each comprising a plurality of parallel co-axially disposed multi-character wheels.

6. A machine according to claim 1 which includes an ink ribbon disposed between the lower surfaces of said type-carrying members and said copy sheet.

7. A machine according to claim 6 which includes means for shifting said ink ribbon by a chosen amount during each pre-printing operation.

8. A machine according to claim 7 which includes a second cam on said cam shaft and a ribbon rocker arm operated by said second cam for actuating said ribbon shift means.

9. A machine according to claim 1 which includes means for inhibiting operation of said pre-printing mechanism by said first cam.

10. A manually controlled power driven duplicating or like printing machine which includes a stationary framework, a rotatable printing drum mounted in said framework, a horizontal copy sheet feed table for receiving single copy sheets to be printed upon during each operation cycle of the machine, a machine drive system including a constantly rotating power driven countershaft and a machine operation control lever for initiating, by each operation thereof, a single operation cycle of the machine, which machine also comprises a pre-printing machine mounted on said copy sheet feed table, said preprinting mechanism including a plurality of axially aligned type wheels overlying' an edge region of a copy sheet when laid on said feed table and a pre-print operating lever for causing operation of said pre-print mechanism upon a copy sheet while stationary on said feed table, a cam shaft rotatable in said stationary framework, a control cam on said cam shaft operating said pre-print operating lever arm at each revolution thereof, a control disc having an eccentric roller also mounted on said cam shaft and effective to operate said machine operation control lever, a one-revolution trip clutch having its driven element connected to said cam shaft and its driving element coupled to said constantly rotating countershaft and a machine controlling foot pedal arranged to operate said trip clutch whereby at each operation of said foot pedal, said cam shaft is coupled to said countershaft to be rotated through one complete revolution to cause operation of said pre-printing mechanism upon said copy sheet while such sheet is stationary in laid position on said sheet feed table and said machine operation control lever is operated by said eccentric roller on said control disc to commence an operation cycle of the duplieating or like printing machine after said pre-printing mechanism has been fully operated.

11. A manually controlled power driven duplicating or like printing machine which comprises a stationary framework, a rotatable printing drum mounted in said framework, a horizontal copy sheet feed table for receiving single copy sheets to be printed, a lay stop on said feed table for positioning each copy sheet, pre-printing mechanism mounted on said sheet feed table, said preprinting mechanism including adjustable type wheels overlying an edge region of each copy sheet adjacent said lay stop, said type wheels being movable vertically to engage and print upon said copy sheet, a pre-print operating lever for moving said type wheels into and out of contact with said copy sheet, a transverse cam shaft mounted in said stationary framework beneath said feed table, said cam shaft having a rotatable cam secured thereon and engagable with said pre-print operating lever to operate said pre-print mechanism, a machine drive system including a constantly rotating countershaft mounted in said stationary framework, a machine operation control lever for initiating, by each operation thereof, a single operation cycle of the printing machine, a control disc on said cam shaft, said control disc including an eccentric abutment for engaging and operating said machine operation control lever, a one-revolution trip clutch including a control element and having its driven element secured to said cam shaft, a drive system coupling the driving element of said trip clutch to said constantly rotating countershaft, a foot operated control pedal pivotally mounted in said framework and link means coupling said control pedal to the control element of said trip clutch so that each depression of said foot pedal causes operation of said trip clutch to produce one revolution of said cam shaft whereby said cam causes a pre-printing operation on a copy sheet while the sheet is stationary in laid position on said feed table and, subsequent to completion of said pre-print operation, said eccentric abutment of said control disc causes operative movement of said machine operation control lever to initiate an operative printing cycle of the machine.

12. A manually controlled power driven duplicating machine which comprises a stationary framework, a rotatable printing drum mounted in said framework, a horizontal copy sheet feed table for receiving single copy sheets to be printed, a lay stop on said feed table for positioning each copy sheet, pre-printing mechanism mounted on said sheet feed table, said pre-printing mechanism including a plurality of adjustable and axially aligned type wheels overlying an edge region of each copy sheet laid adjacent said lay stop, said type wheels being mounted on a hinged member which is movable vertically to engage and print upon said copy sheet, a pre-print control lever for moving said type wheels into and out of contact with said copy sheet, a transverse cam shaft mounted in said stationary framework beneath said feed table, said cam shaft having a rotatable cam secured thereon and engageable with said pre-print operating lever to operate said pre-print mechanism, a machine drive system including a constantly rotating countershaft mounted in said stationary framework, a machine operation control lever for initiating, by each operation thereof, a single operation cycle of the printing machine, a control disc on said cam shaft, said control disc including an eccentric roller for engaging and operating said machine operation control lever, a one-revolution trip clutch including a control element and having its driven element secured to said cam shaft, a motion transmitting drive system coupling the driving element of said trip clutch to said constantly rotating countershaft, a foot operated control pedal pivotally mounted in said framework and link means coupling said control pedal to the control element of said trip clutch so that, each depression of said foot pedal causes operation of said trip clutch to produce one revolution of said cam shaft whereby said cam causes a pre-printing operation on each copy sheet while the sheet is stationary in laid position on said feed table and, subsequent to completion of said pre-print operation, said eccentric roller of said control disc causes operative movement of said machine operation control lever to initiate an operative printing cycle of the machine on said pre-printed copy sheet.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 345,624 Dunn July 13, 1886 1,855,133 Lasker Apr. 19, 1932 2,211,310 Andrews Aug. 13, 1940 2,963,963 Grasso Dec. 13, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 724,081 Great Britain Feb. 16, 1955 

1. A POWER DRIVEN DUPLICATING OR LIKE PRINTING MACHINE WHICH INCLUDES A STATIONARY FRAMEWORK, A ROTATABLE PRINTING DRUM MOUNTED IN SAID FRAMEWORK, A HORIZONTAL COPY SHEET FEED TABLE FOR RECEIVING COPY SHEETS TO BE PRINTED UPON DURING OPERATION OF THE MACHINE, A MACHINE DRIVE SYSTEM INCLUDING A CONSTANTLY ROTATING POWER DRIVEN COUNTERSHAFT AND A MACHINE OPERATION CONTROL LEVER FOR INITIATING, BY EACH OPERATION THEREOF, A SINGLE OPERATION CYCLE OF THE MACHINE, WHICH MACHINE ALSO COMPRISES A PRE-PRINTING MECHANISM MOUNTED ON SAID COPY SHEET FEED TABLE, SAID PRE-PRINTING MECHANISM INCLUDING TYPECARRYING MEMBERS OVERLYING EACH COPY SHEET WHEN LAID ON SAID FEED TABLE AND A PRE-PRINT OPERATING LEVER FOR CAUSING OPERATION OF SAID PRE-PRINT MECHANISM UPON A COPY SHEET WHILE STATIONARY ON SAID FEED TABLE, A CAM SHAFT ROTATABLE IN SAID STATIONARY FRAMEWORK, A CONTROL CAM ON SAID CAM SHAFT OPERATING SAID PRE-PRINT OPERATING LEVER ARM AT EACH REVOLUTION THEREOF, A CONTROL DISC HAVING AN ECCEN- 